As this video by Sean Bielat's campaign points out, Israel has made Jerusalem its capital. This wasn't a trick question about some obscure foreign policy issue. Kennedy was asked a straightforward question about one of our most important allies, a country he himself has visited, and he couldn't get it right.

This should not be a complicated issue. Israel is a sovereign and independent nation, and has the right to declare any of its cities as the capital. We would be outraged if another country dared to say we shouldn't be able to have Washington, D.C. as our capital.

Every country has the right to designate its own capital, and Israel is no exception. While the U.S. embassy is in Tel Aviv, longstanding U.S. policy is that the permanent status of Jerusalem should be resolved by negotiations. I recognize that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and I hope that one day every country in the world agrees.

So which is it, Joe? Is the capital of Israel Tel Aviv, or Jerusalem? What do you believe - what you told the NECN debate audience, or what you (or, more likely, your consultants) wrote on your website? Both answers can't be correct.

[Disclosure: I am a consultant to the Bielat campaign, but this post is solely my own personal opinion and should not be attributed to any other person, candidate, or organization. Viva la First Amendment, y'all.]